Things are feeling a little less Progressive in Asheville. Incumbent Jan Davis, a moderate swing vote was the top vote getter in the city council election with 21.41% of the vote. Progressive Brownie Newman came in a strong second, but the other incumbent, Bryan Freeborn, came in fourth. (Does anybody smell a recall?) New on council will be Republican Bill Russell. Russell, a compassionate conservative, shares an infectuous kindness which will be a refreshing change of pace. Davis said he was happy to see more balance come to council, pointing to some instances when measures, which were not necessarily bad in and of themselves, were rammed through council without discussion just because the majority could give them four votes.
80.31% of voters voted against changing to partisan elections. Brownie Newman tried to change the way the city would vote for council members. Elections would have been partisan if the citizen hadn’t petitioned to turn the tables against the eleventh-hour move.
